


Cry

by 0bviousLeigh



Series: Yuma is a Girl [6]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal
Genre: Gen, Gender or Sex Swap
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-31
Updated: 2017-08-31
Packaged: 2018-12-22 09:13:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11964327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/0bviousLeigh/pseuds/0bviousLeigh
Summary: Ever since she beat him on the day she learned about Numbers, Yuma hasn’t seen Shark in school. She wondered if he’d dropped out, and she’s about to call out to him, but he looks through her as if he’s not seeing her at all, and he turns and drives off.





	Cry

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my Zexal rewrite that I started for Zexal month on tumblr--an AU in which, first and foremost, Yuma is a girl. Always a girl, born with a V, the whole nine yards. Why? Because the idea wouldn't leave me alone. So [I drew it](http://rainbow-galaxy-supernova.tumblr.com/post/164290621451/zexal-month-day-13-yuma-day-something-ive-been), and I started writing it, and I ran with it.
> 
> This is my rewrite of episode 10.

Yuma’s been losing so much sleep over Astral and the Numbers, is it any wonder that she’s running fabulously late? As soon as the light changes, she dashes across the street, and nearly gets run down by a motorcycle.

“You imbecile!” Yuma screams, “I have right of—” She stops. Shark stares at her from the seat of the motorcycle.

Ever since she beat him on the day she learned about Numbers, Yuma hasn’t seen Shark in school. She wondered if he’d dropped out, and she’s about to call out to him, but he looks through her as if he’s not seeing her at all, and he turns and drives off.

Yuma dashes out of the street and tries to see where he took off to, but she’s lost him.

Yuma’s in a bad mood when she gets to class, and it’s made worse when Takashi walks up to her and snatches her deck. Yuma snatches it right back and barely holds back from socking him right in the jaw.

“Didn’t you learn in kindergarten that it’s rude to take without asking?” She snarls.

Takashi looks startled, but frowns. “Why aren’t your numbers in your deck?”

“Because a dueling naked ghost has them,” Yuma tells him.

“You’re out of your mind,” Takashi says.

“It’s true,” Kotori pipes up, bounding to Yuma’s side. “Astral has the Numbers.”

“I bet you’re hiding them,” Takashi says, “Because you don’t want anyone to get a good look at your secret weapon. There’s no way you could have beaten Shark or Tokunosuke without them.”

Already pissed off, Yuma balls her hands into fists and takes a step forward.

“Whoa, easy girl!” Tetsuo cries, moving behind Yuma and grabbing her shoulders. “You left that life behind you.”

“One good punch in the jaw,” Yuma growls.

But Kotori comes to Yuma’s defense. “You take that back!” She orders, getting in Takashi’s face. “Yuma was a good duelist way before she got the Numbers. She made some mistakes because she wasn’t used to her deck, but she’s had plenty of victories. Besides, cards mean nothing if you don’t use them properly. A deck full of good cards can lose to a deck of weak cards if the duelists’ skills are skewed.”

Yuma relaxes and even manages to smile. “That’s exactly right,” she says, linking her arm with Kotori’s.

Takashi scowls. “I’m not convinced. I bet you couldn’t beat Shark again if you didn’t use Numbers.”

“Too bad,” Yuma tells him. “You know, I really want to be your friend, but you’ve got such an attitude that you really get on my nerves. I haven’t asked you to prove anything to me, so I would ask that you show me the same courtesy.” And she flounces off to her seat, Kotori by her side.

“I would have thought he’d be nicer to you,” Kotori says as she and Yuma sit.

Yuma sighs. “I do want to find Shark and duel him again, though.”

“Eh, probably not a good idea,” Tetsuo says as he sits in front of Yuma and Kotori. “He’s been running with his gang full-time these days.”

Yuma snorts. “Oh please, Rikuo’s lot doesn’t scare me.”

“Maybe that’s your problem,” Tetsuo says. “You’re so busy being tough and trying to make things work that you don’t stop to think that some people aren’t worth the effort. Try taking care of yourself before you go trying to fix other people’s problems.”

Yuma sighs. “That would be good advice if my problems weren’t beyond fixing,” she says sadly.

 

 

Yuma remembers where Rikuo’s gang hangs out, and as soon as school lets out, she heads to the old arcade. Red had always talked about dueling Rikuo for it, but he had a bigger gang than she did and she didn’t want to go into an unfair fight, even if Shark was basically the only good duelist of the lot. Yuma even considers calling Red for backup, but that wouldn’t be fair. She left the gang, that’s that.

Astral pops up in Yuma’s field of vision. “I admired what you said to Takashi,” he says, “But what did you mean when you said that your problems were beyond fixing?”

“So you can eavesdrop on me now?” Yuma asks him. She’s arrived at the alleyway that cuts to the arcade. “Great. Well, my main problems are my missing parents and my emotional traumas, one of which has to do with Shark.”

“How so?” Astral asks.

“Pssst, Yuma!” Someone hisses.

Yuma turns and Kotori peeks out from behind a trash can. “What are you doing here?” She whispers.

“Lookin’ for trouble,” Yuma says. “And I don’t want you involved, wait for me at my place.”

Kotori reaches behind her and drags Tetsuo out from the shadows. “You’re looking for Shark, aren’t you?” She asks. “You can’t go in there alone!”

“I agree,” Tetsuo squeaks, then he clears his throat. “It’s too dangerous, we should all go.”

Yuma shakes her head. “Guys, it’s fine. I’ve been here before.” She continues on, knowing full well she can’t stop her friends from following her.

Yuma pries open the doors to the arcade and walks in. “Just as I remember it,” she says, half expecting to hear Red yell out some crude insult to Rikuo.

“It’s creepy,” Tetsuo whispers, then he lets out a loud yelp. Yuma whirls around—Rikuo has Tetsuo in a headlock.

“PUT HIM DOWN, YOU MEATHEAD!” Yuma screams, activating her duel disk.

More of Rikuo’s thugs come out from the shadows. “What have we here?” Rikuo’s brother, Kaio asks. “A couple of pretty things and their dog come to visit?”

Yuma is about to snarl a retort, but someone beats her to it.

“Oye!” Shark calls from the top of the stairs. “I’d let them go, if I was you.”

“Oh? And why?” Rikuo asks.

Shark rolls his eyes. “Have you forgotten what Red’s favorite pet looks like?”

Rikuo looks between Yuma and Kotori, then does a double take when he sees Yuma. He grits his teeth and drops Tetsuo. “Get out of my territory,” he growls, then he beckons his thugs to follow him.

Shark meanders down the staircase. “Why are you here?” He asks Yuma.

“Uh, because of you,” she says. “I want to talk.”

“Too bad,” Shark says, walking past her.

“Then I want to duel!” She tries.

Shark freezes for a second, then continues out the door. “Nope. I’m quitting.”

Yuma’s jaw drops. “You can’t quit, you’re in a duel gang!” She shouts.

“Go home, Yuma,” Shark tells her flatly. He walks out the door, never looking back.

 

 

“Why do you bother?” Tetsuo asks on the walk home. They’re next to the river and the sun is setting. On an ordinary day, it would be beautiful. “It really seems like Shark doesn’t want to be helped.”

Yuma stops in her tracks. “Ryoga,” she mutters.

“Huh?” Tetsuo asks.

Yuma walks off the sidewalk and sits on the grassy embankment. She tosses her bag aside and rests her chin on her knees. “Shark’s proper name is Ryoga. I used to play with him over here when I was a kid. We’d go fishing and look for frogs in those tall weeds. Me, Ryoga, and Rio.”

“Rio?” Tetsuo echoes.

Kotori sits beside Yuma. “Shark’s twin sister,” she says quietly. She lays her head on Yuma’s shoulder. “She’s in a coma in the hospital, after she suffered severe burns.”

Yuma sighs. “It was right after my parents went missing. Ryoga and Rio came to the service we had for them, next thing I heard, Rio was in the hospital. I went to see her, and it…it was messed up. Rio’s so full of life. She loved playing sports, she loved bothering her brother, and she loved dueling. She was in a tournament when she got hurt. Losing her…it was the final straw for me. I cut school and I ended up in a duel gang, and I guess the same thing happened to Ryoga. When I first saw him with his gang I was shocked, but then who was I to judge? I guess in a way, I feel like it’s my fault Ryoga ended up like this. He tried to be there for me when I lost my parents, and I should have tried to be there for him when he lost Rio, but I was too wrapped up in my own grief to reach out to him.” Yuma sighs again. “Now he acts like he doesn’t even know me.”

“This was two years ago?” Tetsuo asks. Yuma nods, and he sighs. “Aw, Yuma, you were only twelve. It wasn’t your job to be a crutch for Shark. It’s not your fault he’s like this.”

“Tetsuo’s right,” Kotori agrees.

“But would either of you give up if it was your friend?” Yuma asks. “If it was me?”

Neither of them answer, which is an answer itself. Above her, Astral looks thoughtful.

 

 

The following day, Yuma goes back to the arcade. She meets Shark out front, where he stands as if he’s been waiting for her.

“What do you want?” He asks in a bored tone.

“Same thing as yesterday,” Yuma tells him.

“I told you I quit,” Shark says.

 _“‘I told you a quit,’”_ Yuma echoes in a whiny voice. “You ain’t quit, you’re in a goddamn duel gang!” She snaps.

“Leave me alone,” Shark orders, and he takes off running.

Yuma gives chase, but she ends up falling behind a bit—she may have jumped gates and rivers with Red and the gang, but it’s been a full year since then and she’s out of practice. She still manages to catch up to Shark at the docks, and she once again demands a duel.

“Yuma, just go home,” Shark tells her, trying to catch his breath. “Why do you care?”

He makes to turn, but Yuma calls out, “I care because I’m your friend, Ryoga!”

At the sound of his real name, Shark stops in his tracks. He turns with a wild look in his eyes. “That was the past!” He snaps. “We’re not friends anymore!”

“I’m sorry,” Yuma says desperately. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you when…when Rio…” she feels tears sting her eyes. “I was hurt and I didn’t think about how much you were hurting…”

Shark snarls. “You want a duel? Fine! If you win, I’ll quit the gang, but if I win then you will never say Rio’s name in front of me again, you will never reference us being friends, and you will stay away from me! Am I clear?!”

Her heart is breaking, but Yuma agrees to the terms.

And she loses on purpose.

It goes against everything in her, and she knows that Shark can tell and is disappointed in her, as are Astral, and Tetsuo and Kotori, who showed up near the end of the duel.

As Yuma’s life points drop to zero, she stares down her former best friend. She remembers him pushing his onions on to her plate at restaurants, the sleepovers they had when their parents were away on business trips, and the time she and Rio convinced him to be Prince Charming for Halloween.

“Congratulations,” Yuma says as she fights tears. “I’m out of your life now. Are you happy?”

Shark turns his back on her.

Yuma screams at him, “I SAID ARE YOU HAPPY?!”

He walks away in silence. Yuma wishes he had run her down with his motorcycle, it probably would have hurt less.

**Author's Note:**

> Someday Takashi will stop being a jerk. Today is not that day.


End file.
